Predicting Sunderland AFC's 2 next big money departures | OneFootball

Highlights

Despite starting off slow, it has been a strong start to the new season for Sunderland Football Club.

The Black Cats came into this new campaign with probably different expectations than previous seasons.

The club enjoyed a fantastic 2022/23 season, one in which they played some really good football, blended youth with experience, and won several matches that saw them finish in the play-off places.

So with Sunderland sitting in the top six after eight games of the season, everyone involved with the club will be pleased.

The Black Cats had a very hectic summer, as Tony Mowbray looked to freshen up his side with new additions but was also on the end of losing one or two key players.

The club is very smart when it comes to transfer business, as they aren’t in a position where they need to sell. But, here at Football League World, we have picked two players who could be the next big money departures...

1 Jobe Bellingham

No Sunderland fan will want to read that Jobe Bellingham is already being mentioned as a possible exit.

However, the club will know if the midfielder follows the same footpath as his older brother, then they know at some point they may be unable to keep hold of him.

Bellingham broke through at Birmingham and showed on glimpses that he is a very talented player.

He decided to take up the opportunity at Sunderland this summer, and nine games into his Sunderland career, he is already showing why he is highly rated.

Despite just turning 18, Mowbray has trusted Bellingham from the start and has started him in every Championship game so far.

He already has two goals to his name, and that came in an impressive performance against Rotherham United earlier in the season.

Bellingham signed a long-term deal with the Black Cats, and the club will be hoping they can keep his services for a few years yet. But it wouldn’t be a surprise to see some top teams come sniffing for Bellingham, just like they did with his brother a few years ago.

2 Jack Clarke

This may be a player that Sunderland fans would expect to see, in terms of possible big-money departures.

Clarke was heavily linked with a move away in the summer, with Sunderland turning down numerous bids.

The 22-year-old has made another excellent start to the season, scoring five goals in eight league appearances. This, on top of his form from last season, makes him a player that most Premier League teams are keeping an eye on.

Clarke is under contract at the Stadium of Light until the summer of 2026, so if he is going to leave the club and continue his rich vein of form, you could see the former Leeds United man leave for a hefty fee.

Sunderland made it clear in the summer they didn’t want to sell, so it is obviously going to take a rather large fee for them to even consider an exit. That is something that Sunderland have changed; their transfer business has seen them bring in a lot more younger players, which means that if they do leave, they leave for significantly more than they were bought for.